I had trouble getting to the survey (IE errors) but eventually got there. Not sure if it's the OFFA site or my computer, but if you have trouble, just keep trying.
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Many of you know I have Leonbergers. Leonbergers are very new to the AKCnot even a year since they were admitted to the Miscellaneous Class. Last week, the Leonberger Club of America arranged for a Health Survey with the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.
Did you know the Akita also has a Health Survey set-up at the OFFA website?
Of course, I took the Akita Survey for all of my Akitas and feeling that the only way to help a breed with health issues is to track them,
I entered my Leonbergers in the Leo Survey. What struck me when I completed it was the response. The total number of people who participated
in the Akita Health Survey, as of a few minutes ago, was 201. That Survey had been up on the website for weeks. The Leonberger study has been up there for about 4 days, and already 253 Leos are entered.
Did you know that you dont have to have a show dog or even a breeding dogthat you can enter your pets and your rescue dogs. If you have a rescue dog and dont know the date of birth, just guess at what you do knowyou can enter the day that you got your dog as a date of birth. Its the rest of the information that is so important. We need to know how many Akitas have cancer, what type; how many have autoimmune diseases, and what type. How much bloatwith or without torsion.
We need to know how much hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, etc., hypothyroid disease and on and on. You have a wonderful, active, dedicated Genetics & Health
Committee and they have arranged this for you. The Akita is lucky because only a handful of breeds have an active surveyI look at it as an I Heart Akitas!
Please, if you have not yet entered your Akitasthose that are alive and those who have gone on to the Rainbow Bridge , you owe it to your dogs to give researchers real information about the health of all Akitas. Please participate. Go to www.offa.org and fill in the survey for each dog you have owned.
Note that it asks you to enter every akita you have ever owned. The more we respond, the more obvious our problems become as a breed and consequently the more likely they are to get targeted for research.
